Norwich Sourdough and Chicken Enchiladas

This last weekend was truly the last week for the red gold nectarines that are, as my cousin put it, "what ambrosia must taste like." The particular farm that grows these confirmed that they wouldn't have anymore until next season. :( Luckily we managed to snag a box of seconds, and I came away with 14 nectarines.

I'm thrilled to report that I've gotten comfortable enough with wild yeast starters and bread making that I successfully made Norwich Sourdough -- without following exact amounts, even (amazing for me!). The first time I made this, it didn't turn out well at all, and I was really disheartened. I REALLY need to improve my dough slashing, which probably involves both technique and instrument. I baked two 800g loaves, and ONE slash came out nearly perfectly, which is progress. On top of that though, I'm still having a little trouble with my oven browning bread far too quickly. :/ I'd like to get a little more open crumb, but otherwise the taste and texture were great. I tried using the lava rock steaming technique that Susan at Wild Yeast recommends, but I've personally found Peter Reinhart's method of steaming (with hot water and a cast iron pan) more effective for me personally.

I also baked a whole chicken the other day, but had a ton of it left. I could have easily reheated it plain or made sandwiches with the leftovers, but I wanted to eat something a little more interesting. I'd just had a friend over and served chili, so I had the perfect ingredients left over from that to make enchiladas! I adapted a few recipes that I found here and it came out great! If you don't want to make your own enchilada sauce, they (and I) recommend the bottled kind you can get from Trader Joe's.

Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

• 8-10 corn tortillas
• 2 cups shredded or chopped chicken
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1 7 oz. can green chilies, chopped and drained
• 1 12 oz. package of cheese, shredded (your preference; I used cheddar and Swiss)
• enchilada sauce (I made this one)
• olive oil to stir fry
• 1 cup vegetable oil

Method

1. On medium-high heat, saute the onion in some olive oil for 2 minutes. Lower the heat to low and continue to saute for another 20 minutes, to brown (but not burn) the onion. During the last couple of minutes, add the minced garlic (don't burn it).
2. Add the green chilies and chicken to your onion and garlic. Stir well and cook for a few minutes.
3. Remove from heat, then add 1/2 cup of the cheese and fold it into the chicken/ sauce mixture.
4. Heat vegetable oil in a pan large enough to hold a corn tortilla. When the oil is hot, use tongs to pick up a tortilla and place it in the oil until it bubbles (about 3-5 seconds -- if it doesn't bubble in that amount of time or less, the oil's not hot enough). Lift and dip the tortillas in and out of the oil 3 times fairly quickly. The goal is to make them soft and easy to roll. Place the tortillas on a plate or tray covered with paper towels and blot excess oil from them. Repeat with however many tortialls you're using.
5. When you're ready to assemble the tortillas, add a generous amount of chicken mixture on top of the tortilla. It should be distributed down the middle, from one end to the other.
6. Take the end of the tortilla closest to you and draw it up and over the chicken, using the other end to meet it and place it gently, seam down, into your baking dish. They don't need to be tightly wrapped; a loose configuration is fine.
7. After the chicken enchiladas are in the baking dish, spoon or pour enchilada sauce over the top of the enchiladas. Be generous with the sauce; it should pretty much cover everything.
8. Sprinkle cheese on top of the chicken enchiladas. (A mix of white and yellow cheeses make for a nice presentation.)
9. Baked uncovered in a 400°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese melts and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
10. Serve immediately, with sour cream and guacamole.